


Hand of God, Deliver Me

by jonginsomniac



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997), Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: AU Where Zack Lives, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-14
Updated: 2020-05-14
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:07:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,474
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24183352
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jonginsomniac/pseuds/jonginsomniac
Summary: One night in sector seven, Zack finds his way back to Cloud. There's a lot Cloud can't remember about Zack, but his feeling for him were not one of them.
Relationships: Zack Fair/Cloud Strife
Comments: 8
Kudos: 194





	Hand of God, Deliver Me

**Author's Note:**

> this fic takes place in the beginning of ff7r, but vaguely makes mention to events that take place in crisis core!

It began as it usually did: dark, damp and cold. Despite the absence of light, Cloud saw the shadows lurking around him. He felt their icy presence come and go, through him and around him. Cloud had become familiar with this graveyard-like setting, but it was still no less frightening, no less frustrating. A shadow flew by him, it's strands of grey trailing behind it, carried by a wind that did not exist. Cloud turned his head and followed the shadow knowing this one was the culprit of these constant nightmares, but as always, as soon as he searched for it, it disappeared. He turned his head again, this time feeling the presence behind him. It was like a heavy weight pressed on his back; he could felt it's cold breath on his neck and tickle his ear. He reached his back for his sword, but his hand came back empty – nothing was there. He turned around to face the shadow, but it dissipated once more. He felt it again right by his ears, whispering unintelligible whispers. The voice was quiet, but still pierced Cloud's ears. He tried to cover his ears with his hands in pain, but the voice continued. It was in his head. 

"Stop, stop!" Cloud shouted at the formless voice. 

"You know I cannot do that." The voice replied, grave and familiar. It echoed in Cloud's ears making him plead once more, his voice was weak and pathetic. 

"Please, stop..." 

Cloud gasped himself awake. He sat up from his bed and grasped his chest trying to catch his breath. His breathing was erratic, it always was after the dreams, and he had trained himself to take long, deep breathes until he calmed down. Cloud fell back on the bed, paying more attention to his surroundings. He blinked, regaining his barring. He stared at the unfamiliar ceiling that hung over his head. He was in his new room, he reminded himself. The room Tifa arranged for him. His heart steadied. A few more minutes passed by before he sat up from his bed again, damp and exhausted, but not ready to fall back asleep. He pulled off his blanket and went to the bathroom. He splashed some water on his face and stared at his reflection in the mirror: bright, but empty blue-green eyes, hay-yellow hair damp at the tips, water droplets streaming down his cheeks. The stark bathroom lights did nothing to help his wary face. He turned off the lights, pulled on his boots and stepped outside. 

The breeze was cool against Cloud's damp face. He liked the feeling. He closed the door behind him. He paused and peered at his neighbour to the right – the stranger Tifa had introduced him to last night. He stared blankly at the door, unsure of what to make of the stranger, half expecting a repeat of his dream to come to life. He turned away and descended down the stairs quietly and quickly. It had only been a day since he came to sector seven. There was very little he knew of the slums, but he remembered the path Tifa had shown him from Seventh Heaven to the apartment. He retraced the steps and walked down the empty streets. He would walk until his head felt clear again, Cloud decided. Everything was still and quiet at night save for a faint breeze carding through his hair and, of course, the low hum of electricity buzzing around him. The constant presence of Shinra. He walked down the dirt road until he saw Seventh Heaven in the distance.

He felt a chill pass down his spine when he realized he was no longer alone. Cloud could make out a dark silhouette sitting on the doorsteps of the bar. His SOLDIER instincts took over. He took another careful step forward to the stranger that looked eerily like the ghosts that haunt his dreams. He cursed under his breath when he reached behind him and remembered his sword was left behind in his room. He stood there, still a distance away from the bar. Turning back wasn't an option; he wouldn't allow anything happen to the bar or worse, have someone hurt Tifa. He steeled his heart and charged forward towards the stranger. A dark cloak covered the individual's face, but Cloud felt himself exhale in relief when he realized it was just a person lying asleep against the pillar of the bar. 

"Hey, what are you doing there?" His voice interrogative and a pinch annoyed. The stranger lifted their head, his hood fell back and revealed his face. Drowsy, he blinked a couple times and rubbed his eyes. Under the dim streetlights, Cloud finally caught a glimpse of his face.

"Cloud?" Cloud froze. He recognized his voice, light and bouncy even now when it was quiet and groggy, before he recognized his face. It was as if the sound reached him before his sight. He stared at the boy a moment longer. 

"Zack." Cloud replied lowly, barely heard over the hum of electricity from the city that floated above them. Something had clicked in his mind. He took a step back, his heart felt like it was about to be ripped out of his chest. _Zack Fair_. It was as if a rush of memories, jumbled and heavy, had been crammed into his brain at that very second. They had not existed a minute ago and now they do. _First Class SOLDIER. His friend and his senior._ But how did one forget such an important person in their life? It was as if he had forgotten how to tie his shoelace or that the sky was blue. He felt a sense of panic wash over him. Nothing about this situation made any sense, but Cloud wasn't even sure why it felt wrong. He also wasn't sure what he was feeling, as if every emotion was cramped in his heart and at any moment it would burst from sheer exertion. Zack got up from the step and closed the distance between the boys, Cloud still could not move. He became keenly aware of the sound of his pounding heart. It was all he could hear. Zack brought his hands up and cupped Cloud's face with his gloved hands. He held it there for a moment and only stared at the boy as a small smile tugged on his lips. Cloud wanted to push the boy away; he was not accustomed to this closeness.

"I'm glad you're safe." He whispered softly. Cloud felt his shoulders slump, his heart steadied itself slowly at the sound of his voice. He didn't know what to say, only he grabbed Zack's sleeve and leaned his head against his chest. He rested his head against the boy for a moment. He didn't know why, but it felt as if a piece of a puzzle had just been fit into the picture. Despite the horror and confusion Cloud felt, he also felt a wave of relief that he could not yet explain. He moved back slightly flustered, Cloud felt that he had seen a part of himself that was foreign to him. 

"Let's go." Cloud replied. He tugged on Zack's sleeve before letting go and proceeding to follow the dirt road back to his room. He didn't turn back, but walked slowly and listened to Zack's footsteps follow behind him. Cloud felt like there should be more going to through his mind right now, but it was oddly blank. All he knew was that Zack was alive and that he didn't think he was supposed to be. He probed his mind further for more details – why did he feel so much yet remember so little? When was the last time he saw Zack? A lot did not make sense about Cloud Strife. He was a scatter of puzzle pieces. It had felt as if some of those pieces came together when he saw Zack again, but there were still so many pieces left. He was not even sure if all these pieces were for the same puzzle. These last few days, he had been feeling nothing but a persistent feeling of dread, a strange sense of wrongness with the world and with him. Yet it was hard to press further on the matter when, despite everything, he felt at peace the minute Zack reached out to him. 

"So I guess each sector's slums are pretty different." Zack's voice pulled Cloud out of his head. He turned back and saw the boy's eyes wander around, staring at the various buildings and closed shops. 

"What do you mean?" 

"Oh, nothing." Zack replied. Cloud didn't push further, but turned back and continued walking to his place. They reached the apartment complex and walked up the metal-barred staircase. The stairs clanged under their boots. Cloud continued leading the way to his room. He stood briefly in front of Tifa's room. He paused, but moved forward. He could tell her tomorrow. He opened the door into his room and let Zack in. Zack took off his cloak and the sword that rested behind his back and dropped them on the ground by the door. Cloud leaned against the wall and watched the other boy. The first thing he noticed was the bandage wrapped around upper left arm. More than that, he saw the various other healed injuries that had scarred his arms. He looked as if he had fought as an one-man army. Zack stepped forward and searched the room – there was nothing much to see, of course. He stood in front of Cloud's sword that rested against the wall next to the bed. He stared at it for a moment, wordlessly. He appeared as if he maybe wanted to say something, Cloud waited. But he said nothing, so Cloud decided to fill the silence.

"So, what happened? I thought you..." Cloud couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence. He didn't know why he thought Zack might have been dead. If he had cared for him as much as he felt he did now, would he not have been sure to check if he was alive? Did he simply leave him? 

"Yeah, I thought so too." Zack said. He turned away from the sword and sat down on the end of the bed. He fell back on the bed. Cloud's eyes widened for a moment; he felt a sense of déjà vu. He remembered Nibelheim. He remembered Zack saving his life and taking him to an inn. He remembered feeling weak while thinking Zack was anything but. 

"Then suddenly, it was like this weight had flown out my body, almost like a ghost, and the next thing I knew, I was okay. I was a pretty beat up, but nothing life-threatening." Zack explained. He sounded unsure himself. He lifted his right hand, inspecting it. He stretched out his fingers before wrapping them into a fist. How long ago was that, Cloud wondered. He inspected Zack's injured arm from across the room. It could not have been that long ago if he had still not recovered. 

"How did you find me?" Cloud asked next. 

"Well, I was in the sector five slums for a while until I got better. I always wanted to find you though. I just didn't know how." Zack replied. "Then, I heard from a member of Avalanche that Tifa had a bar here in sector seven, so I thought maybe I'd find you here too." 

Cloud wasn't sure how Zack knew Tifa. It must have been earlier in Nibelheim, he reasoned. He couldn't recall any particular memory on the matter, but the information did not feel wrong. He lifted himself off the wall and took a seat next to Zack. 

"There's a lot I can't remember..." Cloud said, softly, he leaned back resting his weight on his hand on the bed so he could meet Zack's eyes. He didn't know how to explain it to Zack – that his emotions were telling him more than what his mind remembered. That his memories felt like a book with missing pages and maybe even missing chapters. Zack looked at him, his eyes widened for a moment before softening. He smiled small at the boy – a sad smile that didn't quite reach his eyes – he knew that Zack was hiding something. It felt like there was rock in Cloud's chest. 

"It's okay, just focus on the present, alright?" Zack replied. Cloud frowned, but nodded anyway. Zack’s voice was a comfort to Cloud. He felt that he could trust him. 

Silence hung in the air. Zack continued to lie on the bed. Cloud kept his gaze fixed on the boy. His eyes were shut, but he knew he wasn't asleep. There was still so much more he wanted to know about Zack. 

"So what were you doing in sector five?" Cloud probed. 

"Recovering, mostly. I have a friend there and she helped me get back on my feet. My left arm is still not there yet." He lifted his arm, limp in the air. "Not to mention, I managed to get myself a bit more beat up on my way here" He sighed. Cloud felt a smile creep up on his face.

"Reckless as usual." Cloud stated. Zack looked at him in surprise before bursting out laughing. 

"I guess so." He replied. He continued to explain to Cloud his journey to sector seven. He described the abandoned expressway he went through, thinking it would be easier than going to Wall Market, an area neither of them were familiar with having grown out in the country. He described it all – the monsters, the bandits, climbing up and down broken roads – in detail. He was always a good storyteller, Cloud thought. Despite the ease at which Zack told these stories, Cloud realized Zack had gone through a lot to find him. He wasn't sure what to make of it. Why did he come all the way here? Zack sat up from the bed and looked at Cloud with a knowing smile as if he had read his mind. 

"I missed you." 

"I missed you too." Cloud found himself saying. He wasn't sure what made him say it yet when he did, he suddenly felt like he did miss him tremendously. He remembered Zack's laugh, loud and joyful even when things were bad. He remembered meeting him for the first time in Modeoheim and the snow on his hair that day (it was shorter then, he noted), he looked much younger then too with doe eyes and a bright smile. He remembered all the times he ran into him in the Shinra HQ and the way Zack always managed to pick him out in a group filled with their colleagues. 

Zack smiled, he lifted his hands and cupped Cloud's cheeks again and pressed a small kiss on his forehead. It was so brief, Cloud barely had time to process it. He was taken back for a moment. He wasn't bothered albeit very flushed.

"You should get some rest, you can take the bed." Cloud said, turning away quickly so Zack couldn't see his flushed face. He was annoyed with how much his face revealed. He got up to make room for Zack to lie down before Zack grabbed his hand. "Where are you going to sleep then?" 

"I'm not tired." Cloud replied. In truth, he was exhausted. His dreams, terrible and confusing, often bled into reality and left him restless during the day and night. Coupled with the fact the he had just found a friend he forgot he lost after so long, he needed rest, but he couldn't bring himself to do so. He didn't want to sleep again. He didn't want to dream. 

"Then just lie down here with me then. Please." his voice was quieter. He looked up at Cloud with the same sweet, puppy eyes he knew him to have. He could not say no. Cloud sighed. 

"Okay." 

Cloud went over to the closet and brought out some spare clothes. Marle had left some spare clothing for Cloud in the room when he first moved in. Neither of the boys arrived in sector seven with anything other than their SOLDIER uniforms and the swords on their backs. Cloud handed Zack the spare and left him to get dressed. When he returned from the bathroom, Cloud stared at the Zack that stood before him in a worn out shirt and trouser (they ran loose on Cloud, but on Zack, they fit perfectly), and knew this was a side of Zack he hadn't seen before. He had only known First Class SOLDIER Zack dressed in his black uniform, combat boots, and armour, but there was a comfort in seeing new parts of the boy. They weren't parts that Cloud had to struggle to remember; they existed in the present and Cloud would not forget them. 

Zack lazily fell onto the bed letting out a loud yawn before rolling over to the far end of bed as Cloud went over to turn off the lights. He returned to the bed and climbed under the blanket. There was little space between them on the bed. Cloud wasn't sure if Zack regretted this arrangement, but Cloud found that he didn't mind it. He wasn't used to lying next to anyone. He could feel Zack's warm skin press onto him like a radiator. Even in his earliest memories, he could not remember a time where he felt this close to another person. Cloud lied on his back and stared blankly at the ceiling. He felt more alert now, scared that if he fell asleep, he would wake up Zack too. Was he asleep? Cloud listened to the boy next to him, he could make out the sounds of his even breaths. For a moment, he thought he was. 

"Cloud," Zack said, breaking the silence. 

"Yeah?" 

"I'm sorry." Zack continued, softly. 

"For what?" 

"You've changed. Your eyes – they're are sadder." Cloud didn't know what to say, he didn't know who he was before this. He doesn't remember being anything other than this. 

"It's not your fault." He stated simply. 

"Are you sure?" Cloud turned to face Zack. The small bit of light streaming through the window faintly illuminated his face. He could not make out his expression in the dim light, but he had an idea of what he looked like: concerned and dejected – a product of worrying about others and taking on problems that weren't his. 

"You've changed too." Cloud stated, without judgement. It wasn't that he was better or worse, only he was different. He saw parts of Zack as he remembered (his light-hearted humour, his kindness, his strength were what Cloud remembered best), but there were new parts of him now – parts of him that were different. The secrets, the wariness, the smiles that didn't reach his eyes. He didn't know how he looked to Zack, but he felt that Zack's eyes, much like his own, were not the same. The green mako shined as bright as it always did, yet there was blankness to it now. They felt emptier. He knew he had suffered. 

"Yeah, I guess so." He stated. Cloud could hear the small, resigned smile on his voice. 

"It's not all bad though. I've gotten more handsome right? Battle scars are attractive." Zack said a beat later, lightening the mood or changing the topic, Cloud wasn't sure. Cloud's eyes softened, remembering the cross that scarred Zack's cheek. It was a unique scar that Cloud was not entirely sure how Zack got, but he did know it did indeed make the boy more handsome. He chuckled.

"Hmm, I don't know." Cloud replied playfully and reached out to find the cross. He held on to Zack's jaw carefully and lightly traced the scar with his thumb. He wondered absentmindedly what other scars marked his body. He wanted to see them – to touch them. 

"Yeah I know, no one really comes out pretty after a near death experience." He sighed and pulled Cloud in hug, pressing his head against his chest. Cloud frowned, he was unsure if he hurt his feelings. He was equally flustered at the boy's touch, but less so than when he met him. Zack was the affectionate type, he remembered. He stared at the wall next to the bed, but ran his hand through Zack's long, black hair in a poor attempt to comfort him. 

"...I was kidding." He mumbled, pouting. Zack looked up at him, pleased. He grinned wide, his smile reaching his eyes this time. It made Cloud's heart beat fast in unfamiliar ways. He was unsure what to do, but he smiled back. He felt a fondness well up inside his heart that almost hurt. It left him incompetent and flustered. He didn't know what to do other than to watch Zack – to replace years of muddled memories with the sight of him now, lying in bed next to Cloud holding him in ways he did not know he needed. 

Zack moved away from Cloud, but his eyes lingered on the boy. Cloud's hand lingered too, resting on Zack's shoulder, still buried in his messy hair. A hungry silence fell in the room, want and desire welling up inside the boys. Cloud could feel it too, he could feel his heart beating in anticipation. It was like taking plunging into a pool: did he dive in head first or take small cautionary steps until he was full submerged? 

"Can I?" Zack asked, carefully. It was a short, quiet request, but Cloud understood. He nodded, unable to voice his desires out loud. Zack reached out and held Cloud's cheek in his hand; he let it rest there a moment, caressing his cheek with his thumb. His hand was warm, but rough to the touch from years of battle. He was patient and gentle, waiting to see if Cloud would back away, but he didn't. Zack leaned forward and pressed his lips onto Cloud's. If there were any bits of hesitation left in him, they were gone. Cloud realized how much he wanted this right now and how much he wanted this before too. How much he had been waiting for this. Zack left a slight bitter taste in his mouth, but he didn't mind. He only pushed further. Zack stumbled on top Cloud, shifting his weight and keeping Cloud between his legs. He parted from him for a moment and held his gaze. Cloud could tell that there must have been a lot racing through his mind, he waited for Zack to ask, but he didn't. Instead, Zack stared at the boy as if the answers were already written on his face. It made Cloud feel strange and vulnerable for a moment – perhaps the answer were on his face, but he was not sure what his face revealed. Sadness, loss, grief, confusion? Love, admiration, fondness? 

"Cloud," Zack finally said, but did not continue. Cloud liked the way his name sounded on Zack's lips. His name was heavy on his tongue, solid and steady; he knew that he was where he was supposed to be when Zack called out to him. He didn't know how to reply, so he pulled Zack closer and pressed their lips together. He slipped his tongue into Zack's mouth, unsure and greedy. He kept a hand behind Zack's neck, keeping the boy close and secure in Cloud's grasp. His other hand travelled downwards stopping at the hem of his shirt which rode up while shuffling on the bed. Zack didn't stop at his lips, he pressed wet kisses along his jaw and down his neck leaving behind a trail of red marks. Cloud tipped his head back into his pillow to allow easy access. His lips left a tickling sensation that tugged his lips into a small smile. He hummed in approval. In the dark, Cloud felt a heightened sense of touch – Zack's breath on his neck, lips on skin, warm hands exploring below Cloud's shirt. A sweet sigh slipped from his lips.

"Cloud," Zack repeated, whispering hotly into his neck. Arousal boiled at the pit of his stomach. "You're so beautiful." Cloud could feel his cheeks redden with heat; he was suddenly thankful for the darkness. Despite the heavy fog that existed around his memories, he knew that his feelings for Zack never felt like type that should be reciprocated. In his youth, he looked at the boy as nothing short of a hero. Still now, he felt a strange sense of devotion towards Zack that existed stronger than and preceded his sense of self. It felt strange to think that Zack might have looked at him in a similar way – that he looked at him as an object of affection. 

"Shut up." Cloud mumbled, too flustered to say anything else, but thinking much the same about the boy in front of him. Zack leaned back to face Cloud. He laughed – a hearty, unfiltered laughter that made Cloud's chest clench – before ruffling Cloud's hair affectionately. Cloud used the opportunity apart to sit up and pull his shirt over his head and toss it on the ground. Zack followed, sitting up, he lifted his shirt over his head before wincing. Cloud reacted quickly, pulling the shirt over his left arm without having Zack lift it high. He tossed the shirt. Even in the dim light, Cloud could make out Zack's broad shoulders and the taut skin that stretched over thick muscles. He couldn't bring himself to stop staring. 

"Are you okay?" Cloud asked, a small pout on his lips as he looked at the boy worried. Acting mostly of reflex, he reached out and touched the wound lightly. 

"Of course." Zack reassured. Cloud knew Zack was not one to let a few injuries stop him from anything, but he also knew that he was the type to lie about the extent to which he had been injured if it meant keeping the people around him from worrying. He frowned, unconvinced. He would convince Zack to get his arm checked tomorrow, he decided (the thought of seeing Zack the morning after was still unreal to Cloud as if a part of him expected this to be a dream, but Cloud was not the type to have sweet dreams). His hands wandered around Zack's body, tracing the various scars that marred the boy. It was too dark to see them, but Cloud could still feel the old wounds, healed and scarred. Cloud pulled him closer by his arm and pressed a kiss onto his chest. 

Zack pulled Cloud into another kiss, Cloud tipped his head back leaned into the kiss. He leaned back on the frame of the bed. Zack hand wandered downwards, lingering on Cloud's abs, before flirting with the hem of his trousers. 

"Are you sure?" Zack whispered in between kisses. 

"Yeah." Cloud responded, urgency and desire slipping through his voice. Zack slipped his hand below his pants. Cloud gasped quietly at the touch. Zack was careful. His hand, rough and worn much like Cloud's own, was still gentle as he held Cloud's cock. He stroked it until it was hard from his touch. Cloud breathed loudly in between their kisses. Every nerve in his body felt electrified and possessed with nothing more than the desire to bring the other boy as close to him as possible. He kicked off his pants and gave Zack easy access to his cock. Zack leaned down and pressed wet kisses along Cloud's thigh, his hand still pumping Cloud painfully slow. He wanted Zack's mouth on his cock, but he wasn't sure he would even last a minute. He didn't realize how pent up he was until Zack put his hands on his body. When was the last time someone held him like this? He could not remember. 

"Wait," Cloud breathed out. "You too." He tugged on Zack's trousers and pushed them down to his knees before Zack kicked them off. He pulled Zack's body closer to his and snaked his hand around the other boy's already hardened cock. Zack pressed his lips against Cloud, messy and wet. He pumped faster and Cloud felt arousal well up in groin. 

"Zack," Cloud moaned and earned a string of curses from the other boy. Zack pressed his forehead against Cloud's. Cloud could feel his heavy breath against him and it was intoxicating. "I'm coming." He breathed out only a second before spilling onto Zack's hand. Cloud's body twitched under Zack's touch as he still stroked him slowly. Cloud didn't stop either. He pulled Zack into another hungry kiss and pumped the boy's cock faster. Zack thrusted in Cloud's hand until he came. Zack moaned into Cloud's mouth and let go of the boy. He steadied himself on the bed with both hands on Cloud's thighs. Zack looked at Cloud once more before chuckling. Cloud can't help but do the same. 

They fell onto the bed immediately after. Cloud considered getting up to clean them off, but he found that he was too tired for it. His body felt limp and having Zack's heavy arm over him did not particularly motivate him to move. He made a poor attempt to clean them off with the corner of the bedsheet. Zack fell asleep almost immediately once his head fell onto the pillow. A whole journey's worth of exhaustion had finally caught up with him. Cloud faced the boy and watched him sleep. _Zack is here with me_. He mouthed the words in order to get a feel for them. They did not feel real, yet when he lied in bed in front of Cloud (incredibly messy hair, mouth ajar), he had trouble imagining it any other way. He found Zack's hand below the blanket – the one that wasn't already wrapped around him – and held onto it. Cloud closed his eyes and let sleep finally take him. He did not dream.

\---

They woke up late the next morning. The sun was high and beating down the window. Cloud woke up first. Cloud's first thoughts were: _he's still here_. He felt Zack's arm still protectively over Cloud; he leaned into the embrace. He was in no rush to leave the bed, so he continued to lie there, in his half awake, half asleep state, slipping peacefully in and out of consciousness until he finally felt awake. Zack woke up shortly after. He let out a big yawn and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. 

"Hey, sleepy head." Cloud said, smiling at the bedhead Zack had acquired overnight. Zack grinned in response. 

"Morning, Cloud."

They take their time to get out of bed and shower. Cloud used the time Zack spent in the shower to change the sheets. When he re-appeared, Cloud helped Zack get back into his SOLDIER uniform. He probably didn't need the help, but Cloud offered it anyway. He wondered absentmindedly as he pulled the suspenders over Zack's left arm and buckled the various belts that went up his waist if the two of them should perhaps find a change of clothes considering neither of them were SOLDIER anymore. Zack rewarded him with a kiss on his forehead when he finished. In the morning light, Cloud felt like he was seeing Zack again for the first time. The boy shined with a smile that rivalled the sun. He was beaten up, but still standing. He didn't know what Zack had planned for the future and how Cloud would fit into it, but for now, he decided to listen to Zack and simply focus on the present and presently, Cloud had agreed to help Tifa with some odd-jobs around the slums. Not to mention, Zack would probably want to meet her again. Cloud finished getting dressed and went to retrieve his sword. 

"Oh," Cloud whispered. It came back to him in bits when he picked up the weapon. This was Zack's sword, he recalled. He had given it to him when they last met – when Cloud had thought he had died. He remembered now: slowly dragging the heavy sword across the dirt. They had been somewhere deserted; he wasn't sure how he made it back to Midgar. He picked up the sword with both hands and presented the weapon. 

"I should return this to you." Cloud stated. Zack looked up surprised, his eyes widened for a moment before inspecting the weapon. Cloud stared at it too – the materia pressed into the sockets, the chips and small dents from wear, the carvings on the hilt. Zack looked up at Cloud and smiled. He detected a hint of sadness in the smile. Regret or resignation? Maybe Zack was not too different from Cloud, maybe he also wanted to focus on the present, and leave the past behind where it should be. 

"No, it's yours."

**Author's Note:**

> i wrote most of this before I got to ch18 of ff7r so THAT scene doesn't exist here lol. also, idk how clear it was, but i essentially based zack's escape from death on barrett's towards the end up ff7r i.e. the whispers saved him.


End file.
